For years, communication meant “getting media coverage”. You’d call your agency and request a press release. If you made it into a newspaper or got interviewed on the radio, the job was considered done. But the landscape has changed. Today, it’s not enough to appear—you have to be positioned. And to achieve that, you need more than visibility. You need credibility. So let’s talk about influence narratives.
What is an influence narrative?
It’s much more than a press release. It’s a strategic approach that helps you define the role you want to play in your sector or in society. It’s about building meaningful messages, not just conveying information. It’s about having a presence not only when something happens, but also when you want something to happen.
Your audience—clients, media, employees, investors—don’t just expect to be informed. They expect you to have a voice, a vision. A stance on what’s happening in your industry, your environment, and of course, in society. That’s why many organisations are moving beyond the traditional “press release” and are starting to build influence narratives.
This isn’t traditional marketing or PR. It’s a strategic way of communicating what positions you as a relevant actor. It places you in the conversation and makes you a reference point—not just a source.
The authority bias: why having an opinion positions you better than simply informing
When someone appears in the media not only to share updates but to comment on relevant topics, the perception of them changes immediately. Have you heard of behavioural economics and authority bias? It’s exactly that: those who explain reality seem to understand it better. And those who understand it seem more influential, trustworthy, and solid.
That’s why the goal shouldn’t just be to “get featured” in the media. It should be for your name and brand to be associated with ideas, causes, or issues that grant you legitimacy, authority, and visibility.
Turning current events into opportunity
This is where a good communications agency comes in. It’s not just about writing and sending press releases. It’s about reading the context and identifying key conversations. It’s about anticipating the topics that matter and finding the exact space where you have something authoritative to say.
This is what we in the industry call expert positioning. And it’s no accident—it’s pure strategy.
The agency filters the news and detects where there is room for your voice. It works to “sell” you (in the best sense of the word) as someone with something valuable to contribute—whether to the media, to other opinion leaders, or to strategic audiences.
What should you expect from your communications agency?
Without a doubt, you need an agency that works with you to build your strategic narrative, not just a one-off message. One that helps you be present in relevant conversations, not just in your own announcements. One that positions you as an authoritative voice, not merely as an information provider.
To sum it up, you need an agency that helps you not only tell stories but shape how those stories are understood.
As a reminder, building an influence narrative is not a one-off task—it’s a strategic, two-way relationship. Your agency needs more than just information to work with. It needs vision, availability, commitment to the message, openness to debate, and the ability to take a stand when the moment requires it.
In other words, reputation cannot be outsourced—it must be built collaboratively. If you want your communication to have impact, results alone aren’t enough. You need to be involved in the process.
Today, good communication is not just about talking about yourself. It’s about understanding where you speak from, who you speak to, and what role you play in the conversation. If your communication is limited to sending out press releases, you’re already behind. Start working on how you want to be heard—on your influence narrative.
If you’re not doing it yet, you’re missing the most valuable opportunity of all: to build influence, trust, and leadership.
